Question: Where in The Zohar can we find the description of mutual bestowal between a person and the group?

Answer: It’s everywhere and in every instant! The entire Book talks solely about it. The Zohar describes to us the point of connection between us: The souls unite together in Malchut and then, from their connection, they establish a connection with Zeir Anpin (ZA) or the Creator (Kadosh Baruch Hu). This is called “Israel (those who aspire to the Creator), the Torah (the Light), and the Creator are one.” The Zohar describes everything from the point of these three connected components: 1. every one of us, 2. all of us together, and 3. the Creator.

The text constantly speaks of the point of connection of these three components in their diverse manifestations: multiple states in their approximation and ascension, up to their complete adhesion. We feel the diversity of the spiritual world or even the variety of our corporeal sensations today from within the same point of connection or lack thereof. Beside this point, nothing else exists.

That same point of Malchut of the World of Atzilut, which feels that it isn’t connected with the others and the Creator, is called Malchut of this world. When this point starts acquiring a connection with the others and the Creator, then we can talk about the types of connection between us, and that is spirituality.

This continues until we reach the World of Infinity that we perceive within this Malchut as well, within the connection between the three components. When this connection becomes infinite, it is defined as Malchut of Infinity. In other words, only Malchut of the World of Atzilut in all its manifestations is the place where the connection between us and the Creator in it are revealed.

Therefore, The Zohar describes nothing but what is occurring in the point of connection and only adds information which can enable us to assemble a more accurate picture. This is similar to how I look at a blurry image on the computer screen and don’t know what the problem is. A specialist arrives and explains to me in detail what exactly needs to be corrected.

Thus, the Baal HaSulam’s Commentary to The Book of Zohar provides us with the detailed information about components that we should focus on in order to construct an integral picture.
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From the 2nd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/10/10, The Zohar

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Question: How do I work on connecting with the friends in the group beyond the work on Kabbalah circulation?

Answer: Circulation has absolutely nothing to do with spiritual connection between us. It is a burden we have accepted as our duty so as to serve the world on the corporeal level. Obviously, it is desirable that dissemination were done solely by our people since they can infuse it with the spiritual spark, but in principle, we can recruit outsiders for it as well.

As to spirituality, it is defined as our unity above the level of egoism or our climbing the spiritual degrees by acting above reason. There is no other possibility. This work is not related to dissemination; it is personal and available to everyone, even if the person lives in Alaska in complete isolation.

True circulation is spreading one’s desire for connection and love in the entire network of connections between the souls.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/10/10, “The Matter of Above Reason”

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Baal HaSulam, Shamati #161, "The Matter of the Giving of the Torah": "I labored and did not find, do not believe." We must understand the meaning of “I found.” What is there to find? Find concerns finding grace in the eyes of the Creator.

It is written about actualizing the method of correction: “I labored and found.” What kind of odd motto is this? I can understand the “labored,” but the “found” part is very unclear.

If I correct myself so as to achieve love of others, in this good attitude toward others and connection with them, I find not just anybody but the Creator Himself: the all-inclusive force of nature which binds everything into one whole system. Everything depends on labor. I must invest myself and sweat as I try to gather the entire system, to construct relationships with others, to establish the correct connection, and to feel it out in the darkness.

In this I labor, and then I ultimately find the Creator the moment the system’s parts unify. Thus, I reveal the universal force, and it becomes my inner life force. And if I don’t labor and conduct this search, I will lack the understanding and impressions necessary to unite all the souls.

Indeed, it is up to me to attain this system and learn to control it, just as every cell cares for the body as a whole, even though we have yet to reveal this. The same principle applies to all of creation: Each element is interconnected with all others and the whole system, as in a hologram. This is perfection.

For this reason it is impossible to forgo labor in actualizing the method of correction for then I would never be able to connect, understand, and absorb everything within.

But in spirituality, although he is rewarded with being favored, he must still pay the full price later—the measure of the labor that everyone gives. If not, he will lose the Kli.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/8/10, "The Matter of the Giving of the Torah"

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Question: What does adhesion with the Creator imply?

Answer: Adhesion is a great correction, unification on the basis of equivalence of properties or “form.” We don’t need to change the substance of the will to receive itself. Yet, this substance has an egoistic form (intention) that is regarded as “evil,” opposite to the Creator.

The will to receive in itself isn’t considered bad and opposite to the Creator, just as the still, vegetative, and animate nature aren’t considered bad and opposite to the Creator. And until a person gets to feel that he is opposite to the Creator, he isn’t considered to have the “evil inclination” either.

First, it is necessary to recognize that your intention or the “form” of desire is opposite to the Creator. If not, a person has no evil: He simply acts in accord with his instincts. In Kabbalah, evil is defined as a property opposite to the Creator, the Good, or the Light. A person can sense evil only when the properties of goodness, connection, and love are revealed to him, and he can see himself as opposite to the Creator.

At that point, a person becomes a “human,” no matter how bad this human is at the moment. And this occurs only with the studying of the wisdom of Kabbalah. Before then, there is nothing to correct in a person and in all egoists of the world. It isn’t the form which requires correction.

Only the breach between me and the Creator demands correction. I must transform the form that is opposite to the Creator to a good one, similar to Him. And when we become equal with Him in mutual bestowal, then, as it is written, we attain connection called “adhesion” (Dvekut). This inner work (revelation of evil or brokenness and its correction) occurs solely by way of the Light that is drawn during the group studying of Kabbalah.

In one of his incarnations (Gilgulim), a person suddenly feels a “shot” into the heart, a “spark” that draws him to some new, non-materialistic life. He wants to rise above the mundane, earthly existence and comes to the studies and the group. As time progresses, he begins to feel how inadequate he is to bestowal. From that moment on, he realizes that his nature is opposite to the Creator. Only then can it be said that the “awareness of his evil” has surfaced in him.

But people usually think that “evil” means being just a bad person in the society, and not being against everybody’s unity with the Creator. Kabbalah doesn’t correct the earthly evil (not helping an old lady cross the street or not giving money to the beggars). This evil cannot be corrected at all; it only keeps growing untill we get rid of the spiritual evil.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/7/10, “The Love for the Creator and Love for the Created Beings”

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Question: What is selfless bestowal to another? What do I have to bestow to the friend outside of the egoistic pleasure?

Answer: You don’t need to give him anything material. In your desires you offer him support so that he wouldn’t forget about advancement toward the Creator. This is what your bestowal is exactly. What can souls give to one another when they are apart? They can only awaken each other and give each other strength. It isn’t required to fill the friend’s pockets or refrigerator. Only the correct interconnection is needed, and the Upper Light will fulfill all the needs.

Provide the friend with energy, involvement, and joy from the goal for this is your duty. Without this obligation and spirit there is no group. The Creator has made it so that we exist in one place, meaning one spiritual space, one collective desire of all the friends from all over the world. But it still doesn’t mean that we are a group.

A group begins with the promise to inspire each other. Moreover, we are not talking about external actions, but the inner desire where we are interconnected. Everyone passes the collective impulse and confidence in the path to the others, and this is what is called mutual guarantee.

If you lose capacity to inspire the others, it means that you are drilling a hole in our boat. “And if I am tired, can I rest?” If you do, then you are unable to receive inspiration from the others and are drilling a hole under yourself in the common boat, and because of you, all the others drown.

You either take part in the mutual guarantee or you don’t. This is the way we have to strengthen our troops. Everyone and all of us must see how we depend on each other more and more. This is practical work: A person examines his demand for connection with the group day by day. This is the exact point of interconnection that has to become a foundation for all our hopes.

The boat will reach the point of destination, and in the meantime, our job is to keep it safe from holes and see to it that the certainty in achieving the goal and awareness of its importance gets passed on to everyone. Indeed, there is nothing more important than unity and revelation the universal force of bestowal – the Creator, the Light – among us.
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From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/6/10, “In Everything We Must Discern Between Light and Kli”

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Question: How do we use the upcoming World Kabbalah Convention in order to bring us closer to adhesion with the Creator?

Answer: It is exactly what we aspire to achieve. We are building an environment in order for it to affect us all, to instill new values into us, and to make us feel ashamed that we are not yet in bestowal and don’t feel the same way that we will during the congress.

I realize that during these three days I will feel a burning flame within me, excitement and inspiration. Then why can’t I always feel that way? Before and after the congress, I will probably undergo difficult states, ascents and descents. During the congress, too, there will be moments when I will and will not desire unity, when I will be “for” and “against” it at the same time.

This teaches us how much we need the group and the pressure we feel from the friends so that thanks to their impact, we could attain adhesion with the Creator sooner. This is what we should experience at the convention.
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/7/10, “The Love for the Creator and Love for the Created Beings”

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Question: Is it true that one can love another only in relation to the desire for spirituality because in this case I am not required to fulfill another person’s corporeal desires? After all, I clearly see that now I am not even willing to share a piece of meat at the table.

Answer: For now, it is enough for us to unite in our desire to attain the Creator, but later, you will feel as though you are sitting next to your little son at the table. Would you be able to grab his piece of meat and eat it? This is how you will treat the whole world.

But why is this necessary or what will you receive in the end? We usually forget the answer to this question, that is, the purpose of bestowal, and this is why this action feels so artificial to us: You will feel similar to the Creator and will bestow pleasure to Him, after having attained such a great correction.

Currently you have no need for this at all, and that is why an act of bestowal looks forced and unreasonable to you. There is only one goal: similarity to the Creator. It only seems to you that the world is suffering, that there are poor and unfortunate people. But once you correct yourself, you will see that they are all rich and happy, intelligent and healthy (see Baal HaSulam’s article “The Creator’s Revelation and Concealment”).

We can’t comprehend what an illusion all the suffering in the world is. Each person is being shown an ugly world on purpose so he can feel how much he needs to correct in order to see perfection. We see how everyone thinks differently and has his own opinion, but where does it come from? It is the result of everybody seeing a different picture of the world because there is no picture or form: Everything is revealed within the properties of a person.

When I start unfolding the truth, I realize that behind all the pictures of the world, which appear before my eyes like mirages in the desert there stands one Thought which is projecting the reality that I currently see. And this form is so vague, like Fata Morgana that soars in the air and is constantly changing.

I can steer my way through all these fantasies and the unknown only by leaning on the group because it constantly corrects my focus toward the truth. The truth is the attainment of the single force that governs all of the Fata Morgana. Having attained this force, we can understand how it creates all of these forms and why, we become one with it, and work together with it to reveal the true picture of this world.

It is written: “A man will give anything to find the truth.”
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From the 4th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/3/10, "The Love for the Creator and Love for the Created Beings"

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Question: If the Light builds desires (Kelim, vessels), then why do we remain in the same state of Infinity and only uncover it?

Answer: In the process of expanding and descending from Above downward, the Light created all of the states of descent (the spiritual “rungs”) in such a fashion that the development or ascent is determined by the impact of the corresponding “rung” or spiritual degree on us, and not by the impact of the Light. The Light does perform actions, but solely if it is forced to do so.

Herein lies the entire essence of the construction of the system of the Upper Worlds. The system was broken into parts in order to place obstacles on the path of the Light’s influence upon the desires so that specifically the need from the side of the desire would open the passage for the Light’s action.

In the initial state, you and I reside in Infinity, but we don’t perceive each other since we are in different properties. The descent to this world is constructed from this condition so as to allow man to return to the Upper World on his own. In fact, the whole purpose of descending from Above downward lies in man’s independent ascent from below upward.

A person doesn’t perform an act on his own, but evokes it by forming a desire for it. As soon as the desire to rise higher is formed, it triggers an ascent to the next rung.

Thereby, a person discloses the previously concealed degrees. He seeks the forms of the will to bestow (the forms of bestowal to the Creator), and if the acquired form matches a higher spiritual degree, he evokes the forces of correction and ascends according to the principle: “Make your desire equivalent to His so that He may act as you desire.” Then, Zivug (spiritual coupling) occurs.
[22933]
From the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/1/10, “Within My Flesh Shall I See God”

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Question: What is “separation of Nukva” from ZA (Zeir Anpin)? Why does ZA have two Nukvas?

Answer: Separation starts when additional desires unfold in Nukva and she realizes what she lacks to attain the level of the Creator.

I existed in Bina together with ZA, and He filled me with everything that was needed for my existence. But I started to desire to be independent, like He is, and to totally adhere to Bina. At this point, I discover and feel that I’m incapable of it. This state is called discovering limitations (Din). If I accept these restrictions and correct them, then I become like Bina.

This is precisely what we need to do: Malchut ascends to Bina, Bina descends to Malchut, and together, they work on correction. Malchut can raise all her requests to Bina, and Bina passes to Malchut all its strengths so that the latter receives all the necessary properties of bestowal.

Now it becomes clear why ZA has to have two Nukvas: Bina is also divided into two parts. Everything expands from Bina; it determines all that will take place in Malchut.

Bina is the force of bestowal that is revealed from Above. The Creator wishes to give everything, which is called the Light of Hochma (Wisdom). But He wants the creature to be perfect, to receive this Light, and to act as an independent character, as a guest across from the Host and not as a beast ruled by nature. This is the will of Bina. Hence, it has two parts: upper and lower, GAR and ZAT, where GAR is Bina itself and ZAT is its will to bestow to the others.

Accordingly, Malchut has to be comprised of the same two parts. She needs to have her own part, the corrected one, which doesn’t lack anything, is totally independent, doesn’t need the Host, is unwilling to receive anything from His table of treats, and is total perfection. Besides, she has to desire to bestow everything to the Host in response and to delight Him without any connection to herself.

Therefore, there are two parts in Nukva: one that establishes its independence and the other its equivalence to the Creator. These are the two Nukvas of ZA: Leah and Rachel in relation to the two parts of ZA, Israel and Jacob.
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From the 3rd part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/4/10, Talmud Eser Sefirot

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The Creator conceals Himself from us; if not, we would never step out of our egoism. We would feel proud of our connection with Him purely egoistically. This is why He gave us this world in His place.

He says: “Learn to love them, and it will indicate that you love Me!” And then we will become one, you and I, and we will enjoy each other! And know that I am giving you this game so you may see great means of advancement in these relationships with other people, which you and I cannot have!

After all, I am eternal and I am perfect: You cannot come to me with one attitude today and another tomorrow. I am the law of absolute bestowal, and today you are inadequate for it. Hence, you have no chance to approach Me, and we can’t be together!

But, in the meantime, play with this world. I arranged it so as to make you believe that people and you yourself change. I am giving you friends who aspire to the same goal and desire to come to me. It may be a game, but they are able to evoke in you the yearning for Me. You will play with them, and they play with you, and if you organize them so that they would seek Me, it will indicate that you yourself are on the path that leads to Me.

Start correcting your connection with the others and attain love for them, and you will suddenly realize that it is the same as to love the Creator. I myself cannot play with you as you are today. But I have set up the whole world for you at your level! Everything is designed just for that!”

If I perceive the world as such, then this entire world transforms into the means of reaching the Creator for me! Otherwise, no matter what my attitude to the world is, it will be getting worse. It will still try to awaken me to aim myself at the Creator.

However, instead of being my friend and walking to the Creator with me, he will act against me. After all, he will have to reveal to me to what extent I lack connection with the Creator and don’t wish to use this world accordingly.

Life will keep beating me to shake me up and say: “What on earth are you doing? Start using me correctly!” Hence, we see that all attempts to correct this world at the corporeal level make it even worse.
[22843]
From the 4^th part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 10/7/10, “The Love for the Creator and Love for the Created Beings”

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